Bulbs Up! It's That Time

We noticed a couple of bulbs poking their heads out of the ground this weekend, but not nearly as many as they've got over on the Bed Stuy Reno. And what a relief it is: "When we first cleaned up the yard in the fall, and planted grass and some bulbs, we were worried the only thing that would grow would be giant mutant worms." Have you been watching your bulbs grow or weeding Crown Heights-style? Victory! Speaking of gardens, there's some interesting news on Brooklyn Record this morning about a new place to shop for flowers and the like opening in Red Hook next month.
Bulbs Up in Bed Stuy [Bed Stuy Reno]

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A garden center next to Fairway? [faints with ecstasy]

Posted by: Brenda from Flatbush at March 28, 2007 10:43 AM

How the hell do you guys grow bulbs without having them all devoured by the nuclear mutant brooklyn squirrels? I think there are 60 of them in my backyard right now.

Posted by: bob999 at March 28, 2007 10:45 AM

I have seen a bunch of my garden showing signs of life. One of the keys to squirrel control is avoid planting tulips- they're like crack to squirrels. You could plant them in those little wire cages, but that becomes such work and I've heard that hasn't worked for everyone. I plant daffodils and spray all my spring foliage with hot pepper spray since they'll nibble on other stuff, like my clematis vines. They'll nip at a few daffodils, leave a couple half eaten flower heads lying next to the plants (bastards!) but eventually move on to someone else's unprotected stuff. I also have a water scarecrow that works great- haven't set it up yet because I wanted to wait until there was definitely no chance for freezing temperatures. That's fun because it scares the hell out of them and can keep the feral cats from really messing up my yard.

Anybody have the key to slug control? I see that they have already started their campaign...

Posted by: kensingtongal at March 28, 2007 11:15 AM

Thanks, Kensingtonal. I may have to get some cages, though, because tulips are my favorite of them all. Can anyone recommend other flowering bulbs that the squirrels don't like? Also, what is a water scarecrow? You wouldn't happen to have a link to one online, would you? Thanks.

Posted by: bob999 at March 28, 2007 12:04 PM

Spring has sprung, a couple weeks ago actually, save for the spiteful sleet storm. I've been documenting the progress of the bulbs in my front garden on my blog, Flatbush Gardener.
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Here are some safe slug - and snail - control techniques I use. First, physical controls. Remove their hiding places, anything under which they can hide during the day. Raise pots and other containers so they will dry out beneath. Anything laying on the ground will harbor slugs.
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Beer traps are very effective, but you have to dispose of the slugs yourself. Besides, I don't drink beer anymore.
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There's also iron phosphate, which kills the slugs but not their predators, such as birds. Some commercial names are Sluggo and Escar-Go.
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Do NOT use other commonly available slug bait, such as metaldehyde, which are toxic to slug predators.

Posted by: Xris (Flatbush Gardener) at March 28, 2007 12:06 PM

I have had pretty good luck with tulips by planting them and then covering the bed with rabbit wire, or more recently with contractor scaffolding netting material (that black stuff you see around the Williamsburg Bank Tower's Magic Johnson and the Ft. Greene Park monument these days). The key is NOT to use chicken wire (giant grid holes) and use rabbit wire (1/2" or less grid). As soon as the bulbs start sprouting, you can pull the covering off. The squirrels don't seem to go for sprouted tulips as fast as the raw bulbs.

Posted by: Endless Hold at March 28, 2007 12:17 PM

The garden center was very expensive when located across the street from Chelsea Market. Let's hope for more reasonable prices in Red Hook to mirror Fairway, which otherwise has been a boon for those of us in Victorian Flatbush.

Posted by: PPSer at March 28, 2007 12:42 PM

Link to the scarecrow: http://tinyurl.com/34ka8n. You can find them cheaper on ebay. I stick mine in a flower pot and move it around the yard. There's a place that sells a mounting bracket that you can put on a deck or wall.

Thanks for the slug advice, Xris. I have tried most of those methods and have avoided metaldehyde. The other stuff works but not as well as I had hoped. Some things last year were just completely destroyed. The relatively wet weather last year did not aid my cause in the slug control department. I keep holding out hope that someone will come upon some safe and miraculous method.

Posted by: kensington gal at March 28, 2007 12:43 PM

Despite my laziness in preparing for new bulbs, I have grape hyacinths that have come back year after year. I tried day and calla lilies, only a few flowered, but I think that was due to the placement in yard (not enough sun). I also have a hydrangea and a peonies bush, both produce large flowers which I used for cutting flowers. My yard too was overtaken by slugs (they ate more cabbage that we did last year) and other little creatures. To add to the advice above, I’ve recently heard that if you cut a potato and plant it around your vegetables/flowers, the slugs or whatever else crawling in the soil, will go after it for food source not your plants. Then you simply discard potato and slugs!! “Garden by the Yard” on HGTV always has great how-to-advice.

Posted by: BedStyliving at March 28, 2007 1:39 PM

anyone know if you can ever have too many earthworms?

Posted by: bushwicker at March 28, 2007 1:46 PM

things are hopping in backyard bushwick. krocuses (sp?) are already dying off, daffodils and day lilies and tulips and irises and bleeding hearts etc. are coming in fast. a few hyacyths are already in bloomin mode. good times. but seems a tad early for how far along they are. must be the mild winter.

Posted by: Anonymous at March 28, 2007 4:04 PM

My grape hyacinths are looking pretty good too. I haven't had a tulip problem, which is odd because the little buggers are digging holes everywhere else.

As for feral cats, do those water scarecrows work for them? I had read somewhere that scattering cuttings from rose bushes would discourage them although I haven't been that successful there. Tried red pepper flakes too, which sort of work except they require constant re-application. Unfortunately, mulch is a big draw.

Posted by: flatbush flowers at March 28, 2007 4:10 PM

To: PPSer, Re: Chelsea Garden Market
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My experiences with it predate the Chelsea Market. I haven't been there in at least over 15 years, possibly decades. I liked their selection of plants back then. I hope that's what they would bring to Brooklyn.
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To: K-Gal, Re: Slugs
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I don't try to eliminate them completely. That will never succeed, and will deprive the predators of a favored food source!
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If you have some favored plants that get hit hard, try physical barriers around those plants. That combined with baiting in other areas will work. It just takes some experimenting.
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To: Bushwicker, Re: Earthworms
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Yes, it's possible to have too many earthworms, if they're in the wrong place. They're not native to the areas of North America which were galciated: New England, and such. They've damaged forests in many places where they've escaped from cultivation.

Posted by: Xris (Flatbush Gardener) at March 28, 2007 6:15 PM

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March 28, 2007

Bulbs Up! It's That Time

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